Czech Republic's Museum Lany new exhibit

In Museum Lany is a new jewel in exposition,
Museum Lany: There is a new jewel in exposition, famous Vojtech's and
Enge's BMW 635 CSi Hartge
Museum of sporting cars in Lany near Prague extended its attractive
collection of exhibits - there is...

In Museum Lany is a new jewel in exposition,

Museum Lany: There is a new jewel in exposition, famous Vojtech's and
Enge's BMW 635 CSi Hartge

Museum of sporting cars in Lany near Prague extended its attractive
collection of exhibits - there is a car which can be marked as a new jewel
of large compilation. It's BMW 635 CSi Hartge with which legendary Czech
racers Zdenek Vojtech and Bretislav Enge shined on European circiuts in
1983. White-blue car with extraordinarily fast drivers was 25 years ago the
scare for factory teams with F1 racers and with other racing aces.

In 1983 these two riders from Liberec took twice part in victory ceremony
in ME of travelling cars. Just the lack of experience and the lack of fat
budget caused that the pair didn't achieve yet higher. Anyhow, their
performance by steering wheel of Bavarian car in group A started careers of
both pilots for next years.

Between 1983/84 Tom Walkinshaw with his team Jaguar TWR and the chieves of
factory stall BMW tried to get Zdenek Vojtech. Bretislav Enge stayed
between the fastest pilots of privat cars BMW and in 1986 he became an
official pilot of Bavarian mark in Linder team. He changed for an actual F1
racer of those days Christian Danner.

Fast exotics

"I'd like to drive. Is it possible to get started it?" these were the first
words of Tomas Enge after seeing Bavarian car pearl in Museum Lány
(www.classic.lany.cz). After coming of his father Bretislav and Stepan
Vojtech, son of Zdenek, a vari-coloured narration started. It was full of
memories of "father Enge" and full of both racers-continuators remarks.
Their speech glossed the author of workable replication Lubos Matousek,
long-standing engineer of Charouz Racing System (www.racing.charouz.cz),
and then also Vaclav Bervid, former team manager.

"We were exotics, but hellish fast exotics from Czechoslovakia,"
commemorates Bervid. "Till 1981had "Zdenda" and Bretislav and other pilots
driven in Europe with legendary Skoda 130 RS, but to have the strongest
division BMW it was somtehing unimaginable. All the stars including F1
racers turned aside from us only till they saw times of our boys." Czech
BMW that time successfully fought with racers as Hans-Joachim Stuck, Tom
Walkinshaw, Manfred Winkelhock, Johnny Cecotto, Dieter Quester, Helmut
Kelleners, Hans Heyer or Jonathan Palmer.

While reputable stalls mostly with factory participation as Schnitzer,
Jaguar and Austin Rover TWR, Juma, Eggenberger were professional teams with
perfect foul territory and budget, Czechs had different conditions: their
remaked bus Karosa was good for transporting racing car but also served as
kitchen and sleeping-room. "We had no money for preventive exchange of
important parts. It was a big problem," tells Bervid. "And what more - we
never exactly knew if Svazarm let us go for next races."

Hard work by steering wheel

"My memory is not in very good condition but this car is unforgettable,"
said Bretislav Enge in Museum Lany. Except the annals full of photos he
brough also his overall from those days and his most valuable trophy - 2nd
place cup from Mugello, Italy. Then he gave these two relics of Czech
motosport to the museum. "Driving was very hard, especially in 24hours Spa
marathon. BMW Motorsport didn't recommend using of steering booster. There
could come to demaging of motor," says Enge senior. "When I nearly couldn't
drive, I only turned the steering wheel and rode with accelerator by
fluent skidding."

Both Stepan Vojtech and Tomas Enge were 6 years old in 1983. From spring
till autumn their fathers crossed Europe, only once a year, in June in
Brno, sons and fathers could be near each other. But that year Václav
Bervid's stall rode extraordinarilly also at Havirov-Senov distance. "I
don't remember anything from Brno, but I know very well that in Havirov it
wasn't possible to get to dad because of the crowd," tells Stepan.

"And I also remember some trying ride on airport. Me and my brother Tomas,
we were behind in car with one another Tom - little Tomas Enge. We were
holding the protective frame and looking at father how he was good in
working with the steering wheel," notes Stepan. He is smiling by that
memory, as well as his friend Tomas Enge which adds: "It was a big racing
those days and our fathers were many times faster than all the stars. I
would like to experience that era too."

Engine arose in a place for baby-coaches

Car in Lany museum is similar as the original one. Lubos Matousek worked at
it nearly 2 years. "I have picked extremely many materials. And also
photos, technical data, original homologation FIA etc," says Prague
technician. He finishes it in a year when it is 25 years since that famous
year and what more - this year it is 10 years since Zdenek's tragical
death. "I hope Zdenek would also like the car," adds Matousek.

If there didn't happen a fatal crash with a tram home in Liberec in
November 1998, Zdenek Vojt?ch would certainly tell us how was racing with
BMW 635 CSi Hartge. He and Bretislav Enge they were both very fast but
whereas "Slavek" was a reliable man in nook, "Zdenda" was the opposite -
showman being seen everywhere.

"In fact it was like a dream," told the owner of three Golden steering
wheels about year 1983. "All the Stucks, Questers, Winkelhocks didn't
believe what's happening - any Czechoslovakians who cruised with a bus were
faster than they're. Year before I had won with Austrian Jo Gartner ME race
in Zeltweg, Slavek couldn't have started because of burns from Brno. It's
the best outcome in history but 1983 was much more important for us."

There is one nearly unbelievable story from those days about the exclusive
turner of Bavarian motor for crew from Liberec. Team started co-operation
with German tuning company Hartge, but motor was in care of Ivan Smisek. He
was known as very careful and very clever in sqeezing the best from the
unit. His "kit" gave 308 horses versus 285 horses of factory motor
Schnitzer. "And we did our motors in our panel house, in a place for baby-
coaches! Ivan and I, we both lived in Krc, part of Prague," adds Vaclav
Bervid.

Symbolical full stop after the period of blue-white car did at the end of
1983 Hans-Joachim Stuck, German F1expilot, the winner of 24h Le Mans and of
many others big battles. He said in his interview for German professional
magazine Auto, Motor und Sport that Czechs BMW 635 CSi Hartge with
excellent crew was the best car in sporting cars at ME. "It was a big
honour for us," added Vaclav Bervid.

When to Lány Museum

The car worthy of attention as well as tens other exhibits including the
original Tomas Enge´s Dallara Chevrolet from Indy Racing League 2005,
replications of Prost's and Jordan's F1 monopost or specials Lancia Stratos
or Audi Quattro are for seeing in Museum of sporting cars in Lány from
October till March every Wednesday and Saturday since 10:00 to 16:00 and
from April till September every day from 10:00 to 17:00 (more at
www.classic.lany.cz).